Ⅲ.往亞該亞省。
壹.往亞該亞省東邊第一個城,雅典。17:14-17:34 (第五站)街上佈道è官員信從
一.前往雅典的行程。
1.當時弟兄們便打發保羅往海邊去,西拉和提摩太仍住在庇哩亞。徒17:14
2.送保羅的人帶他到了雅典,徒17:15
3.既領了保羅的命,叫西拉和提摩太速速到他這裏來,就回去了。徒17:15
二.在雅典市與人辯論。
1.保羅在雅典等候他們的時候,看見滿城都是偶像,就心裏著急;徒17:16
2.於是在會堂裏與猶太人和虔敬的人,並每日在市上所遇見的人辯論,徒17:17
A.還有以彼古羅【註:今譯伊壁鳩魯】和斯多亞兩門的學士與他爭論,徒17:18
B.有的說:「這胡言亂語的要說甚麼?」
C.有的說:「他似乎是傳說外邦鬼神的。」
這話是因保羅傳講耶穌與復活的道。
三.他們就把他帶到亞略巴古,說:徒17:19
1.「你所講的這新道,我們也可以知道麼?」徒17:20
因為你有些奇怪的事傳到我們耳中
2.我們願意知道這些事是甚麼意思.徒17:20
(雅典人和住在那裏的客人都不顧別的事,只將新聞說說聽聽。)徒17:21
四.保羅站在亞略巴古當中,說:徒17:22
1.眾位雅典人哪,我看你們凡事很敬畏鬼神。徒17:22
A.我遊行的時候,觀看你們所敬拜的,徒17:23
B.遇見一座壇,上面寫著『未識之神』。
C.你們所不認識而敬拜的,我現在告訴你們。
2.創造宇宙和其中萬物的神,徒17:24
A.既是天地的主,徒17:24
a.就不住人手所造的殿,徒17:24
b.也不用人手服事,好像缺少甚麼;徒17:25
B.自己倒將生命、氣息、萬物,賜給萬人。徒17:25
C.他從一本(本:有古卷作血脈)造出萬族的人,住在全地上,徒17:26
a.並且豫先定準他們的年限和所住的疆界,
b.要叫他們尋求神,或者可以揣摩而得,徒17:27
c.其實他離我們各人不遠;徒17:27
d.我們生活、動作、存留,都在乎他。徒17:28
就如你們作詩的,有人說:『我們也是他所生的。』
3.我們既是神所生的就不當,徒17:29
以為神的神性像人用手藝、心思所雕刻的金、銀、石。
4.世人蒙昧無知的時候神並不監察,徒17:30
如今卻吩咐各處的人都要悔改
5.因為他已經定了日子,要藉著他所設立的人按公義審判天下,徒17:31
並且叫他從死裏復活,給萬人作可信的憑據。」
五.結果。
1.眾人聽見從死裏復活的話,就有譏誚他的;徒17:32
又有人說:「我們再聽你講這個罷!」
2.於是保羅從他們當中出去了。徒17:33
3.但有幾個人貼近他,信了主,徒17:34
A.其中有亞略巴古的官丟尼修,
B.並一個婦人,名叫大馬哩,
C.還有別人一同信從。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。